FAQ

Your Questions Answered!

How long will my item take to be processed and shipped?

Our items will typically ship within the same week as ordered. Some items are made to order since I make each piece by hand, so it can take 1-2 weeks. If your piece is a one of a kind crystal necklace or piece, then it is already made and will ship on the next business day.

Due to the current social restrictions for covid-19, I will only be visiting the postal office once a week to ship your orders. There are also significant delays within the Canadian Postal Service at the moment. All packages are sent with a tracking number and within Ontario it typically takes 1-3 business days to be delivered. Outside of Ontario is typically 3-14 days, depending on whether you live in a more populated area.

I will not be shipping outside of Canada until Covid-19 restrictions are lifted on a more global scale.

How is Quill+ Quartz sustainable?

In order for my business to be sustainable, I am following a circular life cycle approach. One thing I am not a fan of in our modern day economy is how much of a trash economy we live in. The majority of our items are no longer made to stand the test of time. I want Quill + Quartz to be very different in this regard. I will be 100% transparent with where I am buying my crystals and metals to avoid the exploitation of peoples through mining, as I realise this is a large issue. These individual areas are where I am focusing most of my efforts to be as sustainable and in tune with the rhythms of nature.

Packaging

I try to be as conscious as possible with my packaging. I use 100% cotton bags so that there are zero microplastics leaching out into our natural world. I also protect your packages with recycled paper shreds, which are shipped in a Better Packaging Co. mailer that is compostable. My ritual cards are printed on regular card stock and can be recycled if unwanted.

A link to see how our mailers are made:

https://www.betterpackaging.com/

Metals

Currently our items are made out of Sterling Silver (.925) and Brass. In order to try and reduce our impact, I have chosen to use recycled chains for most of our crystal jewelry. Our brass necklaces are on 14k Gold-filled chains and our Sterling Silver pendants are on Argentium Silver (.935) chains. Both of these chain designs are manufactured and recycled by Rio Grande. Some of the older designs were made before I could afford recycled metals and are therefore made with the base metal, Brass. Brass used in the pieces is not recycled, nor is the Sterling Silver at this moment.

A link to Rio Grande’s environmental stewardship efforts:

https://www.riogrande.com/landing/Environmentally-Responsible-Jewelry-Making

In the future, I’d like to focus on buying metals through local estate sales. Allowing me to recycle them first hand through casting and reusing any chains in good condition. I like to think of metals as having a phoenix quality, constantly finding rebirth in fire. Unfortunately, at this moment I’m not currently in a place to purchase pure gold, so this recycling initiative is currently waiting to be born.

Crystals

I am currently buying my crystals from two sellers, one from @hausofstones (Instagram) and the other from @newstoneagecabachons (Instagram). I again have crystals from when my business was just a personal hobby and did not at the time think to ask where they were mined so some crystals may have no information. I will state in the listing if the crystal is from either of these two sellers. Both list themselves as ethical sellers, although there is no jewelry stone oversight body to verify these claims. Haus of Stones states that they pay fair trade prices to miners and buy from low impact mines (not open pit style) and they are located in the US. New Stone Age Cabachons is a couple located in Victoria, BC.  They have family in Mexico, and source all of their material mostly from Central and South America, with a few pieces coming from Canada. What I like most about this seller is that on their Instagram, you can look at their highlight reel and they have visited the miners, so you get a first hand look at where these crystals have come from and the families who do the work to mine them.

Full Circle

To me, full circle means full responsibility. In order to be responsible for the trash Quill + Quartz might create, I am creating a buy-back policy. If you loved your jewelry too much or if you’ve outgrown the style, I’m happy to have your items returned. I can then recycle crystals and metals previously used and be even more independent from harmful mining practices. I will pay 8% of the original product price for your item(s). In order to accommodate the needs of everyone, you can choose between cash back (likely an e-transfer) or store credit to use at a later time of your choosing (no expiration). All I ask in return is that you choose the less convenient route over the trash can, and return your worn or damaged items.

What is your return policy?

I accept returns on anything you aren’t satisfied with, within the first 60 days of receiving your items. In order to receive your refund on an order or item you will need to ship the piece back to me. Once I have received the item I will process the refund and email you to let you know to expect that in 1-5 business days.

I am also trying to avoid being a part of the trash economy and do my best with my small business for our Mother Earth. I accept all items previously sold for a cash discount for use at www.quillandquartz.com as well. If you loved them too much or if you’ve outgrown the style, I’m happy to have your items returned so I can recycle crystals and metals previously used.

How can I keep my metals shiny and bright?

Brass and Sterling Silver are both metals that will age and oxidise. In order to avoid this natural discoloration and patina, I suggest avoid getting it wet as any residual moisture will make oxidation occur more quickly. Also, it is a good idea to keep them in a ziploc bag or any other air tight space as exposure to oxygen creates the discoloration.

If you’d like an anti-tarnish bag with your orders in the future, please reach out to me and let me know. I’d like your pieces to last multiple generations and want to do my best to help you keep them in beautiful shape. There are also methods online for polishing brass using household ingredients. I will do a blog post on these methods soon to let you know what works and what products are okay to put near your crystals.

What do you mean by guilt free?

By guilt free, I mean that I have hopefully considered all the avenues for my business to create harm in the world through capitalism, and I have chosen to alter course into environmentally friendly practices, with a focus on growth and continuous betterment for our Earth. Hopefully this erases the guilt of buying and feeling like you are feeding a machine you don’t believe in.